1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a dish washing machine having a spray nozzle fixed to one side of a washing tub and a vane arranged to be movable in the washing tub and configured to reflect wash water sprayed from the spray nozzle toward dishes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dish washing machine, which is a home appliance that washes dishes by spraying high-pressure water to the dishes, includes a body having a washing tub provided in the dish washing machine, a basket to accommodate dishes, a sump to store wash water, a spray nozzle to spray wash water, and a pump to supply wash water from the sump to the spray nozzle.
Generally, the dish washing machine employs a rotor-type spray structure having a rotary spray nozzle. The rotary nozzle sprays wash water while being rotated by water pressure. Such rotary nozzle sprays wash water within the radius of rotation, and thus there may be an area which the sprayed wash water does not reach. Accordingly, a linear-type spray structure is proposed such that every area is reached by the sprayed wash water.
The linear-type spray structure includes a fixed nozzle fixed to one side of the washing tub and a vane to move within the washing tub to reflect wash water sprayed from the fixed spray nozzle toward the dishes. Thereby, it may reflect the wash water to all areas of the washing tub according to movement of the reflecting plate.
The fixed nozzle may have a plurality of spray holes arranged in the lateral direction of the washing tub. The fixed nozzle may be fixed to the rear wall of the washing tub, extend in the lateral direction of the washing tub to reflect wash water sprayed from a plurality of spray holes of the vane, and be arranged to linearly reciprocate in the front-to-back direction of the washing tub.
The linear-type spray structure is further provided with a drive unit to drive the vane. The drive unit may be implemented in various forms. For example, the drive unit may include a motor, a belt connected to the motor to transfer driving power to the vane, and a rail to guide movement of the vane. When the motor is driven, the belt may rotate, causing the vane to move on the rail.
Regarding a distribution device to distribute the wash water stored in the sump to spray nozzles, the linear-type spray structure may employ a distribution device having a different structure than the distribution device of the rotor-type spray structure.
When a rotary nozzle is used as the spray nozzle disposed at a lower portion of the washing tub, arranging the outlet of the distribution device to face upward may shorten the length of a flow passage connecting the outlet of the distribution device to the rotary nozzle and minimize pressure loss of the wash water.
On the other hand, when a fixed nozzle is used as the spray nozzle disposed at the lower portion of the washing tub, the fixed nozzle is disposed close to the rear wall of the washing tub, and therefore the outlet of the distribution device does not need to be arranged to face upward. Arranging the outlet to face upward may increase pressure loss of the wash water since the flow passage connecting the outlet of the distribution device to the fixed nozzle should be bent rearward around the outlet of the distribution device.
Meanwhile, since the spray nozzles of the linear-type spray structure are fixed, targeted washing of spraying the wash water onto only one section of the washing tub may be implemented by distributing the wash water to only some of the spray nozzles.